Simple Strategies to Eat a Rainbow of Color

Guest Post by Susan Kamin, RD, Executive Director at Growing Great Schools, Inc. for S&S Worldwide

Trying to figure out ways to get all of the important nutrients our bodies need to function optimally? Eat a rainbow of color. A “rainbow of color” often conjures images of the summer bounty of produce (tomatoes, beans, squash, corn, berries, lettuce and a wide variety of herbs), but eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is equally important in the winter.

It’s actually easy to eat a rainbow year round if you follow a simple “3 for 3” strategy. Focus on including three *types of produce at each of the *three meals eaten each day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). This may sound like a lot of produce, but if we breakdown each meal, it’s actually very easy.

Breakfast

Starting with a smoothie for breakfast makes getting in three a snap. Frozen fruit is a terrific alternative to fresh in the winter. Place frozen berries, a banana and a handful of greens – spinach, Swiss chard, kale – with some yogurt in a blender to whip up a delicious on-the-go meal. It’s also fun to experiment with your favorite fruit and veggie combinations.

Lunch

Winter is the time of year when nothing sounds better than a warm bowl of soup. By the time you hit lunchtime, this is the perfect way to take the chill out. Most soups start with a base of onion, carrot and celery; that’s three, but there is no reason to stop there. No matter what type of soup you choose, you can add additional vegetables to boost the healthful nutrients – beans, peppers, leeks, broccoli, or a handful of greens at the end. Pick your favorites!

Dinner

Getting a rainbow on the dinner table is simple with a grain bowl. Start with your favorite grain (rice, quinoa, barley, couscous), top it with your protein of choice, and then add three (or more!) of your favorite vegetables. If you choose, you can also make this a vegetarian meal. Try different combinations such as:

• Asian – rice, shrimp, broccoli, peppers, carrots in a soy sauce.
• Mediterranean – couscous, chicken, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and a spoonful of plain yogurt.
• Mexican – rice with black beans, corn, tomatoes, scallions and a sprinkle of cheese.
• Fruit and nut – barley with apple, dried cranberries, celery, arugula and pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
• If you happen to get off track at one meal, try to incorporate produce into a snack. Try an apple or banana with a nut butter (peanut, cashew, almond), carrots with hummus, or plain yogurt with berries for a tasty and satisfying nibble. Adding a simple green salad to one of your meals is also a simple strategy for incorporating more produce.

Don’t let the winter blues get you down. Think in a rainbow of colors for year-round health benefits.

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Susan Kamin is also a registered dietitian for the National Association of Physical Literacy.